HRD Ministry issues guidelines to states, UTs for education of migrant workers children

The Ministry of Human Resources of Development (HRD) had issued guidelines to States/UTs for the education of children of migrant labourers on Tuesday.

As per the guidelines, the state governments may direct all schools to give admission to any child who has recently returned back to the village without asking for any other documents, except some identity proof.

"In view of the lockdown due to COVID-19 a large number of migrant labourers are returning to their homes and are likely to stay there for varying periods. Along with the migrant workers, their families and children are also returning to their homes. For these children this will lead to a disruption in their studies and learning," read the HRD ministry's guideline.

"As a result, some states may see a reduction in numbers of children enrolled in their schools or they will be reported as absent, while others will see a surge in children requiring admissions. In order to ensure that there is no loss of learning or academic year for all such children, it is suggested steps may be carefully implemented by all states/UTs," it added.

HRD Ministry in its guidelines further said that in the States where there is out/reverse migration, a database may be prepared of children who have left the local area for their homes in other States/UTs or other parts of the same State/UT.

"Such a database may be prepared by each school by personally contacting parents/guardians of all children studying in their school, through phone/ WhatsApp/neighbours/peer group, etc. Their tentative place of stay during this period may also be noted. Such children, who have left, maybe shown separately in enrolment as temporarily unavailable/migrated," the guidelines further read.

"While all care must be taken to ensure that their names are not struck off the rolls (as the possibility of their return anytime is always there), their numbers may be reported class-wise to Directorate of Education to compensate for any input costs to be incurred by the school such as mid-day meals, distribution of textbooks and uniforms if not already completed," the ministry added.

"They should not ask for transfer certificates or proof of class attended earlier. The information provided by the child's parents may be assumed to be correct and taken as such for giving admission to the child in the relevant class in his/her neighbourhood government/government-aided school," the guideline read.

"The State/UT will also prepare a database preferably in digitized form for such children who are thus admitted in schools, and share it with the states from where they have come," stated the guideline.

-ANI

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